Yesterday's Feelings
by cryozenthia
Summary: Byakuya had always been careful not to let his feelings show. But when his wife returns from the dead, he has a hard time keeping his emotions in check. And what’s worse is that she doesn’t even remember who he his! Read and Review!
1. Chapter 1

When you Come Back to Me Again

**Summary: Byakuya had always been careful not to let his feelings show. But when his wife returns from the dead, he has a hard time keeping his emotions in check. And what's worse, is that she doesn't even remember who he his! Read and Review!**

**Whew! Sorry about quitting on the other story. I felt so bad about it, but I almost had no other choice. It was just getting too hard to fit everything in and too many plot holes kept popping up. Also, I felt I was taking Byakuya a bit too out of character. So here's the new one, as promised. It won't be as cheery-cheery as the first one, but I hope you enjoy it.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach. If I did, Hisana would still be alive.**

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Chapter 1: A Fateful Reunion

_50 years ago today…_ Byakuya thought as he stood before her grave. 50 years ago, his beloved had been so cruelly taken away from him by illness and 50 years ago he had made a promise

"_Yes…I will protect her."_

The words rang in his ear so loudly, that he almost shuddered. Byakuya had always made of habit of keeping his word. But then, so many years later, he would have to break that promise.

"_Rukia is a criminal and must face punishment."_

Had it not been for Ichigo and his friends, that punishment might actually have been carried out. But fortunately, Ichigo had been there to stop him from making a mistake.

"_Rukia, I'm sorry…"_

Despite his grief though, he was glad that his beloved hadn't been there to see him behave so coldly – to break the very promise he made to her. Suddenly, as if on cue, the wind, still cold from winter, picked up and sent a shiver down his spine. He quickly laid the flowers by the gravestone, next to the white lilies his sister had placed there earlier. His wife had always loved lilies…especially white ones. He had always thought them rather plain, but she had always seen something special about them. The funny thing was, Rukia also found them quite attractive and made a point of picking a bouquet of them after they bloomed. As he turned to leave, he couldn't help but notice the clouds gathering.

"It's going to rain today."His thoughts were interrupted by a small, tomboy-ish voice.

"Rukia," he said, shocked to see her standing by the gate of the cemetery. "I thought I told you to stay at home."

"I know." She said. "But you were gone for quite a while and I got worried." Quickly, she waved the item in her hand in front of her while mustering a small smile. "I even brought an umbrella – just in case."

He almost smiled…almost. "We should get going." He said, making his way back to the house.

"Right!"

xXxXxXxXxXx

It was about a miles walk back to the manor. They spoke little, only commenting on the weather. By the time they reach the front gate, it had begun to rain, making Byakuya thankful Rukia had been considerate enough to bring an umbrella. As they approached the house, they heard loud yelling from behind the door.

"As I have told you before, neither Byakuya-sama, nor Rukia-sama are here, so please leave."

"And I told you, I'm not moving till they get back!" It was Ichigo.

"Ichigo!" Rukia exclaimed loudly, half-pleased, half-irritated. "What are you doing here?!"

"Oi! Rukia!" Ichigo replied quickly running to greet her. "This old geezer kept telling me you were gone and that I had to leave! Can you believe that?!"

"Well, you probably just barged in, like usual!"

"What?! I knocked first!!"

Byakuya sighed. Every time they saw each other, they did nothing but argue.

"Ichigo. Rukia." Byakuya said, giving them both a stern look. "Go to the barracks and check up on Renji. Make sure he's not screwing up the paperwork I left with him."

"O-okay." She said, bowing quickly. "C'mon Ichigo, let's go!"

"Fine." Ichigo said, sounding slightly frustrated. "Later Byakuya!"

So, the two left, bickering as they went. Byakuya sighed again. Ichigo was always addressing him by his first name.

"Byakuya-sama" Said Yuu, the houses main servant. "Is there anything I can do for you?"

"No. I'm fine. I think I'm going to retire early tonight."

"Very well, sir."

xXxXxXxXxXx

All night long, Byakuya tossed and turned. Vivid dreams too disturbing to describe haunted him. His eyes shot open as he slowly returned to reality. As soon as he got his bearings straight, he knew that he was not going to sleep well, if at all. So he decided to take a walk. It was something he did when he felt restless. Throwing a robe on over his pajamas, he made his way to the door. The rain clouds had cleared and the full moon shone brightly in the sky. The air was filled heavy with the scent of fresh rainfall. As he stepped outside, he suddenly sensed another presence nearby. Looking around, he saw nothing, but something inside was giving him this nagging feeling that he just couldn't shake. He slowly stepped out further onto the wet grass, not caring if his feet got wet. In an instant he was airborne, just barely dodging the kido spell launched at him. As he landed on the rooftop, he saw something glint to his left. Jumping out of the way, he was able to get a clear look at his attacker. To his surprise, it was a woman of slight build, and surprisingly small. She wore a mask to cover her face and was dressed in all black. As stepped back as far as he could, only to notice that the woman had not moved since her last attack. Slowly she rose to her feet, her hair blowing in the wind, sword gleaming in the moonlight.

"Just who are you?" Byakuya demanded.

For a few moments, there was silence. Byakuya wasn't quite sure whether or not the woman had heard him, so he repeated his question.

"Answer me. Who are you?"

"Byakuya Kuchiki." She said raising her sword. "I am here to claim your head."

xXxXxXxXxXx

"What?" Byakuya said, staring at the woman before him.

"As I have stated before," she said, coldly. "I have been sent to kill you. Have I made myself clear?"

"Just who exactly sent you?" He demanded.

She was silent for a moment.

"Answer me!"

"I would tell you, but what's the point? You'll just die anyway."

"Is that so? What makes you think you can defeat me, let alone kill me?"

"Don't act so arrogant. What could you possibly do, unarmed?" she said, smirking beneath her mask. "The way I see it, I have the advantage."

"The only arrogant person is you! Hadou No. 4! Byakurai!!" He shouted. He smirked as the ray of energy pierced her chest, thinking of how foolish it was for her to underestimate him. But as soon as his muscles relaxed, her body turned to paper, making him all too aware of danger he was in. As he turned around to locate the attacker, it was too late.

"You shouldn't have underestimated me, Byakuya Kuchiki." She said, raising her sword to deliver the fatal blow. "Now you die!!"

_It's too late for me to avoid it! _Byakuya panicked as he saw the blade approach him. Everything turned to slow motion.

"Hoero! Zabimaru!" And just like that, he saw Renji's sword come crashing down, just mere moments before the blade touched him.

"Nii-sama! Are you alright?!" Rukia said, landing on the rooftop next to him.

"Yes." Byakuya said, still in a bit of a daze.

"Don't worry about thing, taichou!" Renji said, leaping to the rooftops. "We'll handle things from here on out."

"You shouldn't be so hasty." Said the woman. "Just because you numbers have increased doesn't mean you have the upper hand. I'll kill all of you if I have to."

"Hmph." Renji snorted. "I'd like to see you try!"

"Bakudo #75! Gochuu Tekan!!"

Suddenly, Renji, Byakuya and Rukia felt their arms and legs go numb.

"Damnit." Byakuya said. _She knows kidou of that level?! _As she stepped forward, he braced himself and began to weigh out his options.

"Hm. So much for that." The woman said, drawing her sword. But just as she was about to move, a blade lay across her throat.

"One move." Said the newcomer. "And I'll slice your neck."

"Oh? And just who might you be?" Asked the woman.

"Yoruichi!" Byakuya said, struggling to regain his composure.

"Yoruichi?" The woman said, intrigued. "Shihouin, Yoruichi?"

"That's right," Yoruichi said. "Now why don't you remove that mask so we can see what you really look like?"

"Well, I guess I have no other choice…" she said quietly, dropping her mask to the ground. A wave of shock ran through Byakuya as he gazed upon the face of his attacker. There. Standing before him was his deceased wife, Hisana.

* * *

**Yup...definitely not as cheery-cheery as before. **


	2. Chapter 2

**Whew. I start school next week! Sadly, I've done nothing with my break…I feel like it was wasted on sleeping in and lounging around, but eh, that's what breaks are for. Anyways, I thought I'd update this, so enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach. There. I said it.  
**

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Chapter 2: Tragedy Strikes

"What?!"

"Don't get mad, Ikkaku." Renji said in an attempt to calm his friend.

"How can I not get mad?!" Ikkaku yelled. "All this excitement happens and no one bothers to wake me up?!"

"Trust me, you wouldn't have wanted to be there…" Renji stared into his cup of sake. "It was a total nightmare."

"Well, you could have let me decide for myself! Damn!" Ikkaku yelled, dumping the remains of the sake bottle into his cup only to find drops. "Out of sake."

"You don't get you do you?" Renji said, looking up at Ikkaku with glaring eyes. "This girl took out three of our captains!"

"So?" Ikkaku asked, arching an eyebrow. "She took out three captains, big deal."

"What do you mean 'big deal?!"

"They were weak captains. If one of them had been Zaraki-taichou, she wouldn't have gotten away."

"I wouldn't be so sure. Afterwards, she threw some sort of weird smoke bomb and literally disappeared into the shadows."

"Well, that's not hard. Shadows are dark. You can't see into them."

"No, I mean, she _disappeared._ She was there one second and gone the next!" Renji declared, slamming his fist on the table, then looked away. "It was as if…"

"As if what?" Renji snapped to attention. Ikkaku's attention was no longer on the sake bottle, and now on Renji. "Like she magically used the shadows to teleport away?

Preposterous! I can't even begin to imagine the level of expertise required to pull something like that off, especially when it's a technique that doesn't exist! She's just an

assassin-"

"No!" Ikkaku stopped mid-rant. "She knew levels of kido that only a captain level shinigami would know! She's more than just an assassin! She's clearly had training!"

Ikkaku was silent, a rarity Renji considered a miracle. He was clearly contemplating.

"But," Ikkaku said suddenly said. "What kind of training?"

xXxXxXxXxXx

"Nii-sama…" Rukia said, stepping into her brother's spacious home study. She was disturbed, but not surprised to see his office in a wreck. Papers, once neat piles on his

desk, were now scattered across the floor. Books were knocked from the shelves. An inkwell lay on its side in the corner, its contents spilt out onto the floor. A glass

paperweight that had been given to him from Ukitake as a gift, lay in pieces on the desk. The room was completely dark. She stepped over the mess, pushing papers aside

with her foot in an attempt to reach a lamp, but when she started to light it, she was startled when a "Leave it off" came from the corner. It was Byakuya.

"Nii-sama!" Rukia exclaimed.

"What are you doing here?" He replied, turning his head.

"I-I came to check up on you." Rukia said. Through the dim light coming through the door, Rukia took a moment to study his appearance. He looked disheveled. His eyes

were bloodshot, his hair messy. He wasn't wearing his _kenseikan _either, something that Rukia had never seen him without. "You've been in here all day, I was starting to get

worried." She suddenly noticed the glassy look in his eyes. For the first time he looked…human.

"Are you alright?" Rukia asked, although she was certain she knew what the answer was.

"I-I don't know…" He replied, turning his head away. Rukia slowly made her way across the room to his side. She knelt down next to him, noticing Hisana's picture in his

hands. "My father once told me something…" Byakuya began. "He once told me that everything that lives must also die and one who dies will join in the cycle of life that

circles our world and the next. When we lose loved ones, we are not really losing them…they live on, in a new life…"

"And," Rukia began. "You think that this Hisana is just the next life for the one you knew."

"I've thought about it…I've gone over it in my mind, and it's the only thing that makes sense, but…"

"You still have your doubts?" Rukia said.

"……" Byakuya was silent. Suddenly, Rukia knew he needed to take a break and focus on something else. "Why don't we take a walk?" She said, springing to her feet.

"Hm?" He turned his head to stare at her, obviously still focused on last night.

"I think that you're stressed, and a walk would definitely do you some good." She added, extending her hand. "So what do you say?"

He stared for a few moments. Then he closed his eyes and sighed.

xXxXxXxXxXxXx

"Oi! Rukia!" Rukia turned to see who was calling her. It was Ichigo, and he looked concerned. He stopped a few feet in front of her, placing his hands on his knees, huffing

and puffing. "What's going on?" He asked in between breaths. "Is it true there was an assassin here last night to kill Bya-mmph!" Ichigo was cut mid-sentence by Rukia's

hand. She pushed Ichigo a few feet back before removing her hand. She quickly turned to check on Byakuya. He was standing by the doorway, watching the sakura

blossoms. He seemed not to notice Ichigo's rude comment.

"What the hell'd you do that for?!" Ichigo asked, pissed at being pushed around.

"Look, nii-sama's been really unnerved by this whole thing so try to be a little sensitive!" Rukia said, half whispering, half yelling.

"Huh?" Ichigo's eyebrows went up. "You mean he's scared?"

"It's not fear!" Rukia's eyes fell. "There was just something about the assassin that bothered him…"

"Like what?"

"…I can't say…" Rukia couldn't answer him.

"Oh, I see. I'm not supposed to know, huh?"

"Ichigo…"

"Is he alright?" Ichigo asked, surprising Rukia greatly.

"What?" Turning around, she saw that Byakuya was no longer standing in the doorway, but instead, collapsed on the ground.

"Nii-sama?" Rukia said, subconsciously moving to where he lay.

"I'm going to get the 4th squad!" Ichigo yelled, running off in the other direction. Rukia didn't hear him.

"Nii-sama?!" Her voice filled the urgency as she fell at his side and began to gently shake his shoulder.

"Nii-sama! Nii-sama!!" She began to panic. "NII-SAMAAAAAA!!!!!!"

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**WHOO! It's really getting intense now! Read & Review Please and Thanks for reading!!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Well, here we are, chapter 3. I'm still happy with the story, much to my own surprise (I've got a terrible habit of not finishing what I've started :P) Anyway, someone asked me when this story takes place. Well, I originally had it **_**during**_** the Arrancar arc, but I moved it to afterwards…makes everything easier that way. Anyway, this is a freakishly long chapter. I may go back and update it to make it smaller. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach… (Sobs uncontrollably)**

* * *

Rukia was inconsolable…she didn't know what to do. Unohana and the rest of the Fourth squad had examined Byakuya again and again, but could not help him, but did diagnose it as poisoning.

"But how?" Rukia asked. "What could have happened?"

"We found this-" Unohana said, extending her hand to reveal in it a small dart-like object, roughly the size of a large insect stinger. "It was in his back, along the spine. It was so small, we almost missed it."

Flashbacks of the other night filled Rukia's mind

_-Flashback-_

"_H-Hisana?" Byakuya said, eyes filled with shock._

"_Hisana?" The woman asked, looking amused. "Lucky guess for you. Too bad, I have no prize to give you."_

"_Would someone explain to me what's going on?!" Renji demanded. _

_Suddenly, the noises began to approach. As the clouds above began to roll over, the sound of Soi Fon's voice rang out. "Don't move! We have you surrounded!" No sooner had she spoken, Soi Fon leapt to the rooftops, followed by the stealth defense squad. "You have nowhere to run!" Soi Fon said._

_Soon, the clouds covered the moon, and Hisana smirked. "Who said I was trying to run?" She said. Before Yoruichi could think, Hisana fell into the ground, leaving _

_Yoruichi holding nothing but air. As eyes searched to find her, smoke filled the air. _

"_Damn!" Yoruichi said, covering her face. Through the blowing wind, everyone could see Hisana standing at the buildings edge, smiling eerily. _

"_Farewell, Kuchiki Byakuya." She said, leaping off the roofs edge. Yoruichi and Soi Fon rushed to stop her, but just then the moon came out and illuminated night sky, and they saw nothing. Not even the shadow of someone running away. The intruder had disappeared._

"_Damnit!" Soi Fon said looking around. "Troops!!" She said, turning to her men. "We're going to scout the area! She couldn't have gotten too far!" Then, she _

_shunpoed away. Yoruichi ran to release the spell on Byakuya and the others. "You guys alright?" _

"_Yes, we're fine." Rukia said, dusting herself off._

"_Yeah, thanks." Renji said. "We owe you big time." But Byakuya was silent. He had not risen to his feet, but stayed on his knees, staring off into the distance. _

_-End Flashback-_

_When she was escaping… _Rukia thought.

"But," Ichigo said, eying the tiny stinger in Unohana's hand. "When did he get poisoned?"

"It was the other night…" Rukia said, her eyes almost glazed with disdain.

"But how?" Ichigo protested. "You were all watching her the other night, wouldn't you have caught it?"

"Unless…" Rukia's face darkened. "She was able to slip away from Yoruichi's grasp…"

"That's right." Renji said, as if coming to a realization of something. "She just fell into the floor."

"Fell into the floor?" Unohana's arched an eyebrow. "Please elaborate."

"She went through the floor like a ghost. Are you thinking what I'm thinking?!"

"Yeah. If she could have gotten away so easily, she wouldn't have needed the smoke bomb."

"So it was a distraction."

Renji and Rukia fell into deep thought, leaving Ichigo and Unohana to try to put the pieces together on their own.

"Ok." Ichigo said. "I'm completely clueless…Could someone please explain to me what's going on?"

"I'd like an explanation myself…" Unohana said.

"She was able to get away from Yoruichi, by slipping through the floor. If she could have gotten away just like that, she shouldn't have needed the smoke bomb, meaning that the

smoke was a distraction, so that Hisa- I mean, the assassin could plant the poison." Rukia explained.

"I still don't get it." Ichigo said, cocking his head. "If she was sent to kill Byakuya, why would she need poison?

"The poison was a fail-safe, just incase she couldn't finish the job there." Renji said, frustrated at Ichigo's stupidity. "We can give Kuchiki-taichou an antidote, can't we?" Renji

asked, turning to Unohana. "You're Fourth squad. You're trained to handle this, aren't you?"

"I'm sorry." Unohana said solemnly. "It's not that simple, Abarai-fukutaichou. All of our attempts have yielded no results…It's not just an ordinary poisoning…it's not only

affecting his body, it's affecting his mind."

Everyone was silent. As far as they knew, their hands were tied. They were dealing with a powerful enemy and techniques never before encountered. In short, they were screwed.

"Damn." Ichigo said under his breath. "I just wish there was someone who could help."

"There may be one." Renji said reluctantly.

"Who?" Rukia asked, eyes filling with hope. "Who is it?"

xXxXxXxXxXxXxXx

Hisana stood in a dim-lit room. At the end was a throne and as she approached, a thunderous voice bellowed from the darkness.

"Well…"

"It's done, Akuto-sama." Hisana said, bowing to the ominous figure on the throne. "I've administered the poison, just as you have ordered."

"Excellent. You have served me well, Hisana. If the poisoning is successful, you just may earn your memories back."

Hisana looked up. She wanted nothing more than to regain her lost memories. Still, something wasn't right…

"Thank you, Akuto-sama!" Hisana said, bowing deeper. And with that, she jumped back into the shadows.

"Kaa-san. Baa-san. Soon…" The man said, rising from his throne. "I shall take my revenge and restore the honor of our clan…Just you wait…"

xXxXxXxXxXxXx

"Hinamori Momo…"

Silence spread through the room.

"You think so?" Unohana asked, staring intently at Renji.

"She's excelled in demon magic. Even if she's not familiar with this enchantment, she'll still prove useful." Renji said, looking around.

"It's not going to be easy getting past Hitsugaya. He won't let her go, not without a fight." Ichigo said.

"I know, but maybe if I ask him, he might."

"What makes you think that he'll listen to you?"

"I'm a good friend of Momo." Ichigo lifted an eyebrow. "Well I'd like to see you come up with a better idea!" Renji said defiantly.

"I'll go with you." Rukia said, pulling away from Ichigo's arms. "Being Byakuya's sister, I might have some influe-" Suddenly, Rukia stumbled to the ground.

"Rukia!" Renji ran to help her, but Ichigo beat him to it.

"Are you alright, Kuchiki-san?" Unohana asked, her face filled with concern.

"Yes." Rukia replied, holding her head. "I just tripped that's all."

"Unohana." Ichigo said, helping Rukia to her feet. "Maybe you should go instead."

"Well…"

"Ichigo!" Rukia protested. "I'm fine, really!"

"Ichigo's right." Added Renji. "You've been through a lot and you're tired. You should stay here and rest."

"But-"

"No buts." Renji said firmly. Rukia sighed. "Alright." She said.

"Well, then." Unohana said briskly. "Renji, I'm going to let you ask him first."

"Me?" Renji looked at Unohana. "But why?" Unohana smiled.

"You said it yourself. You know Momo the best out of all of us." Renji looked dubious. "Besides," Unohana added. "If things get messy, I'll step in, so don't worry."

Renji thought for a moment. "Alright." He said, rising to his feet. "Let's go."

Ichigo and Rukia watched as Unohana and Renji left. "You'll think they'll be ok?" Ichigo asked, after they left. Rukia's eyes met Ichigos.

"I hope so."

xXxXxXxXxXxXxXx

"Absolutely not! I forbid it!" This was Hitsugaya-taichou's response to Renji's request to allow Momo to examine Byakuya.

"But Hitsugaya-taichou!" Renji pleaded. "My captain is dying! Momo's the only one with the knowledge to help us! Momo excelled in Kido and demon magic, there's a good chance she'll be of use."

"You don't know that!" Toshiro said, crossing his arms. "There's no guarantee that she'll be able to help, plus she's still very unstable. She hasn't fully recovered from her ordeal

with Aizen."

"Bu-"

"I said no and that's final!!" It was obvious that Toshiro wasn't going to budge on the matter. Renji could only throw his hands up in defeat.

"Perhaps," Unohana said, stepping in "I may have a say in this."

"Hm?" Toshiro turned his head, surprised he didn't notice her standing there before.

"I, for one, am in favor of this action."

"What?!" Toshiro couldn't have looked more surprised than if Matsumoto had said she was giving up drinking.

"I agree," she continued "that Momo is unstable, but at this point, she's our only option."

"I can't believe I'm hearing this! Have you lost your mind, Unohana-taichou?! Releasing Momo could be disastrous!"

"And you don't think that losing another captain wouldn't be the same?"

"I'm not saying that it wouldn't be! But there's no telling what Momo will do once she's free!"

"I'm not asking to release her. I am only asking that she be allowed to help us in saving Kuchiki-taichou's life."

"Don't you have any other options? Why Momo?"

"Look, I know you care deeply for Mom, but as Renji has stated before, Momo has excelled in demon magic. While she no longer holds her high rank, she still possesses a great

deal of knowledge that could be of great benefit to us."

"And I still think it's a bad idea! Look, I'm sorry to hear about Kuchiki-taichou, but I am not changing my mind! Momo has been through enough!"

Unohana was silent. While it didn't show on her face, she was clearly enraged at Hitsugaya-taichou's lack of ability to comprehend the situation.

"Fine." She said, turning to leave. "You leave me no other choice. I'm going to arrange a captains meeting. We'll see what the other captains have to say."

"So be it."

xXxXxXxXxXxXxXx

"Hisana-sama."

Hisana's thoughts were interrupted by a small voice. Turning towards the door, she saw a small, white-haired girl standing there. "Amaya? Shouldn't you be asleep?"

"I'm sorry." Amaya said, quickly bowing in apology. "If I was interrupting anything, I'll leave."

"No." Hisana said. "I was just thinking."

"About your memories?"

"Yes and no. To tell the truth, I'm a little scared."

"Why?"

"I-I don't know why." Hisana closed her eyes. "It's just that I've been dreaming a lot lately."

"About your past?" Amaya walked across the room and sat on the edge of Hisana's bed.

"I'm not sure. I see it so clearly in my sleep, but when I wake up, it turns into a blur and I can't remember a thing."

"If you don't remember, why do you care?" Hisana was surprised by this question. She looked at Amaya, who was looking at her in the way that most children do when they

don't understand something. But she had a point. Why did she care so much?

"You're right. It's probably nothing. It's just that…" Hisana's voice trailed off.

"What?"

"There's something about this Byakuya…something familiar…"

There was a pause between the two of them.

"Well," Amaya said, hopping to her feet. "I'm sure once you get your memories back, you'll know for sure."

"You think so?" Hisana asked, watching Amaya walk towards the door.

"Yup. Till then, I wouldn't get too riled up about it." And with that, Amaya left.

Hisana closed her eyes and laid down. In her last swirl of thoughts before drifting off to sleep, Byakuya came to mind. _I wish I could remember those dreams._ She thought, just

before drifting into a deep sleep.

xXxXxXxXxXxXxXx

"Order! Order!" Yamamoto bellowed as he tapped his cane on the ground. "I hereby call this meeting to order! Now," Yamamoto began. "We have a dilemma.

Unohana-taichou. Please explain."

"Thank you, Yamamoto-sama." Unohana said, bowing her head and stepping forward. "As many of you know, an attempt was made on Kuchiki-taichou's life last night. And

now, he has fallen ill, from poison administered by the perpetrator in her flight. It has been identified as demon magic and if immediate action is not taken, we will lose him."

"And what do you propose we do?" Asked Ukitake.

"I have requested the temporary release of Hinamori Momo, former fukutaichou of the Fifth Squad, so that we may utilize her knowledge of kido and the demon arts."

Whispers spread through the other taichous.

"What I had hoped," she continued. "Was to go directly to Hitsugaya-taichou. Being her overseer, I thought it would have been faster. But my request was met with resistance

and Hitsugaya-taichou would not listen to reason."

"And for good reasons!" Hitsugaya said, stepping forward. "Hinamori is not stable enough to handle this task." He faced the other members of the Gotei Thirteen. "If she were to

be released, there's no telling what would happen."

"But it's Kuchiki-taichou's life on the line, isn't it?" Ukitake asked. "If we lose him, we'll be down _another_ captain. Plus, Kuchiki-taichou has served the Gotei Thirteen for many

years and has come through on multiple occasions. We mustn't turn our backs on him!"

"So you approve of letting that whack-job loose?!" Soi Fon said, glaring fiercely at Ukitake. "It's too risky, you've seen the damage she's done."

"I can't approve of this either." Said Shuhei, who had just been promoted to taichou of the Ninth Squad. "It's just too risky. What if Momo finds out Aizen was killed in the

Winter War? She'll probably go haywire."

"But we have to use our options." Said Kyouraku, taking his side in the matter. "And if Hinamori is our only option, what other choice do we have?"

"I could care less about Kuchiki-taichou." Zaraki said, gripping his sword restlessly and licking his lips. "But it would be a real treat if the girl tried to run…It's been so long since

I've had a good chase."

The other taichous ignored Zaraki and continued their debate. "I agree," Stated Izuru Kira, acting taichou of the Third Squad. "That Momo is too unstable. And Shuhei is right.

Momo doesn't know about Aizen. If she finds out, there's no telling what would happen."

"Now, now, Kira." Said Kurotsuchi, cocking his head to the side. "It might be interesting to see what the girl comes up with. I say go for it."

Soon, the room burst into noise as the taichous debated. It was very clear that a decision wasn't about to be made. The only captain who hadn't said anything was Komamura,

who was obviously waiting for what Yamamoto said.

"Order!" Yamamoto bellowed, once again tapping his cane on the ground. The room became silent. "It is very clear," He began. "That we will not reach a decision the way things

presently are. And since time is of the essence, I say we vote on the matter. All who are in favor of this action?"

Ukitake, Unohana, Kurotsuchi, Kyouraku, and Komamura stepped forward, then stepped back.

"All opposed?"

SoiFon, Kira, Hisagi, Zaraki, and Hitsugaya did the same.

_It's a tie... _Unohana thought, looking around the room.

_It's all up to Yamamoto-sama now…_ thought Hitsugaya. A deathly silence fell over the room. It seemed an eternity before Yamamoto's voice bellowed out.

"I decree,"

Everyone held their breath.

"I decree that Momo Hinamori, be temporarily released, for the sole purpose of assisting Kuchiki-taichou in his time of crisis."

A smile spread across Unohana's face, while a look of despair crossed Hitsugayas.

"However," Yamamoto continued. "There must be guards around her at all times, and when she is not working, she is to be placed in a holding cell, and chained in Sekki-Sekki.

And with that, you are all dismissed."

* * *

**Yup...very long.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Whew, it's been a while. I've decided that while I'm updating the other story, I'd update this one too. This chapter's a little bizarre, I apologize. I wanted to start looking more into Byakuya's past, especially meeting Hisana. I wanted to add more to this one, but I didn't want it to get dragged out, so it's kind of short. **

**

* * *

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"_Here you are, Daylight's star, _

_Made out of miracles…"_

xXxXxXxXxXxXxXx

-_55 years ago-_

"_What is this? W-where am I?"_

"_Don't move. You were injured badly." _

_She stood by my bedside, but at that point, she was just another face to me. _

"_You're…a Rukon dweller?" _

"_And you're a shinigami, I presume." _

_I briefly looked around…all around me, I could see people…mostly children, clinging to their own sad ramshackle families. Though their faces had no expression, I could see it in their eyes – anger, strife, bitterness – my presence here was clearly unwanted. After all, I was a shinigami…a demon in their eyes._

"_But why? You know what I am, so why save me? Why not just leave me to die?"_

"_I guess I'm human…I couldn't leave you there."_

_Human? The term almost made me laugh…almost._

"_What is your name?" I was startled by my own curiosity. _

"_My name is Hisana."_

"_Hisana?" The name rolled from my lips gracefully. _

"_Mm-hm. That's right. What's yours?"_

_Against my better judgment, I told her. "It's Byakuya."_

_Whether it was out of a strange desire to see her, or something else, I'll never know, but in the days that followed, I found myself visiting the Inuzuri district often…Little did I know, though, that within those seemingly blissful days, was what set our tragedy in motion._

xXxXxXxXxXxXxXx

"Hm…" Hinamori looked Byakuya over carefully. "It's bad."

"How bad?" Rukia asked, preparing herself for the worst.

"Well, I sense a great deal of internal conflict. Whatever he was poisoned with is affecting the way he thinks."

"Is it fatal?" Unohana asked, surprised she would ask such a silly question.

"Yes, but I could prepare a simple antidote to eradicate it."

"Well, what's with the waiting then?" Renji asked. "If it's so easy to prepare, why hasn't anything been done about it yet?"

"Whatever he saw that night has affected him deeply. While the antidote is simple to prepare, once I give it to him, it would cause some very severe reactions."

"Reactions?" Unohana asked, arching an eyebrow.

"Body spasms. Intense pain. At this point, I'm not sure I'm willing to risk it."

"What's the risk?"

"Death. Even though I could physically treat it, his mental state is in such poor condition, he wouldn't be able to endure it."

"What do you mean?"

"What I mean is," Hinamori said, pursing her lips together. "He lacks the will to live."

xXxXxXxXxXxXxXx

_-200 years ago-_

_"Where is he?!" A loud voice echoed through the mansion. "Where is my son?!"_

_"He's out in the garden." Reasoned Yuu, trying desperately to calm his master. "But really, Makoto-sama-"_

_"Is he alright?" Makoto asked, turning to face Yuu, stopping momentarily, than continuing forward, ignoring the stares from the servants and the other elders._

_"Y-yes, he is, but-" Yuu said, surprised by the sudden question. "But really, Makoto-sama, it really wasn't necessary for you to return home for this. We could have easily handled this problem ourselves."_

_"How so?"_

_"Because, we thought we could deal a better punishment for him. After all, his selfish actions could have ruined the Kuchiki name. We're just lucky the other nobles didn't catch wind of this, or we'd be the laughing stock of the Seireitei."_

_Makoto stopped in his tracks. "If that is indeed the case, and Byakuya's actions were really so outrageous," Makoto said, turning to face the feeble old man behind him. "Than wouldn't it be best for me, his own father, to speak with him?"_

_"With all due respect, Makoto-sama…" Yuu began, wringing his hands. "We think you're too soft on the boy. You've let him get away with his reckless behavior, and now he's out of control. He's-"_

_"He's my son." Makoto said, glaring at Yuu. The old man suddenly realized the rudeness of his words and slinked back, dipping his head in apology._

_"P-please forgive me." Said Yuu._

_"He's my son, therefore, _I_ will deal with him." Makoto said, paying no attention to the old man groveling for mercy, but instead, continuing forward. When he reached the door to the garden, he heard small sobs coming from by the pond. Approaching small, huddled figure before him, the boy seemed to not notice him coming closer._

_"Byakuya…" he said, placing his hand on the boy's shoulder. _

xXxXxXxXxXxXxXx

Silence fell over the room. Though no one wanted to say it, everyone knew there was no hope.

"So, he's going to die?" Rukia said, her eyes filling with tears.

"I'm afraid so."

"Isn't there anything you can do to help him?" Ichigo asked, comforting Rukia in his arms. "Anything at all?

"Well, there is one way..."

"What is it?" Unohana asked.

"There's a ritual I can conduct. It's one of the forbidden arts, but at this point, I see no other options."

"What does the ritual do?" Ichigo asked.

"It allows one to venture into the mind of another."

"Isn't that dangerous?" Renji asked.

"Yes. In order to do this properly, someone would have to volunteer."

"So, basically, all someone would have to do is go into Kuchiki-taichou's head, and knock some sense into him?"

"Yes." Momo said.

"I'll do it." Rukia said, looking worse for wear. "I'd probably have the best chance of getting through to him."

"No." Unohana said. "I'm sorry, Kuchiki-san, but you're in no condition to be attempting something so dangerous."

"Unohana's right." Renji said. "I'll go. I've always wanted to smack the guy anyway." A cheesy grin lit up his face. "It'll wake him for sure."

"Yeah right. Know you, you'd probably make things worse." Ichigo said, giving Renji a dirty look.

"Watch your mouth!"

"Make me!"

"ENOUGH!" Silence spread throughout the room. All eyes focused on Rukia, who had stood up.

"He's my brother." Rukia said. "I will go, and there's nothing any of you can say to make me change my mind."

"But--" Ichigo, Renji and Unohana all stood in protest.

"No!" Rukia's eyes softened. "Please don't try to stop me. Byakuya has saved me from death many times. For once-" Rukia's eyes sank briefly, then rose to face the others.

"For once, I want to save him."


End file.
